1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-speed trim apparatus and to a method for the successive trimming of a plurality of thermoformed articles from a surrounding continuous web of a thermoformable foam plastic film material. More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a trim apparatus and of a method of utilizing the apparatus wherein the apparatus and method are designed to conform to the maximum output of a thermoformer.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In essence, various apparatus and methods are currently known and employed in industry for the trimming or severing of a plurality of thermoformed articles from a continuous web or sheet of a thermoformable foam plastic material in which the articles have been molded into the material web in a thermoformer. Generally, the web of material with the thermoformed articles molded therein is transported from the thermoformer at relatively high speeds and throughputs, and is then conducted into a trim press for the severing of the thermoformed articles from the web of plastic material. The trim press is usually constituted of a plurality of cooperating male and female members, such as complementary punch and dies which are conformed to the outer or peripheral configuration of each of the thermoformed articles, and are adapted to provide for concurrent trimming of a number of individual articles from the web. These cooperating male and female members of the trim press usually have a considerable physical mass and resultant high moment of inertia so as to constitute a limiting factor in the feasible total throughput of the entire thermoforming and trimming system.